Sanitizer Washes Out

Putting hand sanitizer in kids’ classrooms doesn’t prevent school absences due to illness, a study found. Over 2,000 elementary-aged kids in 68 primary schools received a 30-minute hand-washing lesson. Hand sanitizer dispensers were placed in classrooms in 34 of the schools, and students there were told to use the sanitizer when leaving rooms and whenever they coughed or sneezed. Over the winter term, there was an insignificant difference in absences due to illness between children attending schools with sanitizer and those at schools without. Because the study took place during flu season, however, both groups may have washed hands more, muting the effect of sanitizer. Source:PLOS Medicine, published online Aug. 12, 2014